Open-face slip-index.



J. P. NORTON. OPEN PACE SLIP INDEX. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 191%.-

' Patented Dec.15, 1 914.

UNIT D STATES P ENT OFFICE. r

JOHN PEASE NORTON, ORANGE, CONNECTICUT.

OPEN-FACE SLIP-INDEX.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Application filed June 27, 1912. serial no. 706,282.

' lowing is a specification.

'or slips are held My invention relates to the class of visible indexes comprising a back with trackways and a pluralitv of tablets or slips, bearing the desired information in writing or typewriting, in such a way that all the information upon the tablets or slips inserted Within a pair of parallel and opposing trackways of an index panel is visible and the tablets in the frame or panel in such a way as to be capable of ready insertion, removal and adjustment for the purposes of changing the information in the index from time to time and otherwise rearranging the order of the information in accordance with the classification desired.

The objects of my invention are to provide, first, a plurality of interchangeable, independent leaves or panels equipped with one or more pairs of rigid, parallel and opposing trackways either upon one side or upon both sides of the leaf or panel so that the number of leaves or panels may be added to uniformly when desired in order to increase the capacity of the index; and, second, a plurality of certain cushion slips for carrying the information, so constructed that said slips possess the attributes of flexibilitv longitudinally, of thickness sufficient to abut against one another when inserted in the trackways and compressibility in the dimension of thickness, qualities useful and necessary in facilitating their ready insertion, removal and adjustment in rigid and non-adjustable trackways.

A more specific description of my invention will be obtained through reference to the drawings, forming part of the specifications. wherein one embodiment of my invention is represented.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one side of a leaf or panel, equipped with a single pair of parallel and opposing slots or track ways, termed as single-decked, and Fig. '2 is a front elevation of the reverse side, equipped with two pairs of parallel and opposing slots or trackways, termed as doubledecked. In Fig. l, Sis one of a plurality of cushion slips inserted in said trackways, the

construction of which together with the relations of slips and trackways are illustrated in Flg. 3 which is a sectional view, somewhat enlarged on line 22 of Fig. 1 and 22' of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the cushion slips, showing the cushion of corrugated paper uppermost with the writing surface downward.

The supporting leaf or panel, as herein shown, consists of a surface sheet or back B in Fig. 3 to which are fastened filler strips F and to the filler strips are fastened guide strips G, forming parallel opposing slots or trackways T. The depth of thesslots or trackways is determined by the amount of the extension of the guide strips G beyond the filler strips F. The thickness of the filler strips F determines the width of the slots or trackways and is less than the thickness of the flexible, compressible cushion slips before insertion by which relation is produced the wedging of the ends of slips within the trackways.

i In order to insert a cushion slip, the slip is bent or buckled into an arc, the altitude of which is one quarter to one half of the length of the slip, thereby reducing the chord of the arc to a length less than the distance between the opposing edges of a single pair of the parallel and opposing guide strips, thus enabling the ends of the slips to pass the edges of the guide strips from which position by flattening the arc the two ends of the slips simultaneously enter the two parallel and opposing trackways and wedge in the slots or trackways by compression. of the ends ofthe slips which now extend in a. horizontal plane almost to the two parallel and opposing edges of the two filler strips, previously mentioned.

In constructing trackways for slips of relatively greater length, it is advisable to increase somewhat the depth of the trackways in comparison with the depth required for relatively shorter slips, inorder to hold the slips more firmly in their place and, on the other hand, in constructing trackways for relatively shorter slips it is desirable to lessen the depth of the trackways somewhat, in order to keep the altitude of the are above described which is formed upon the insertion of the slip down to one quarter to one half of the length of the slip. In other words, the depth should be sufficient to hold the ends of the slips firmly by the compression, and yet not too deep to require an are with an altitude greater than one quarter to one half of the length of the slip. Obviously, a considerable variation in the limits of the altitudeof the arc is present and this is influenced by the closeness of the corrugations of the slip, the nature of the material of which the three layers of paper of which the slip is constructed happen to consist and, also, the width of the slips. In a given design, the various points mentioned must be taken into consideration in order to insure not only convenient insertion and removal of the slips, but also the proper compression by which the ends of the slips are independently held.

In Fig. 4, the construction of a cushion slip isshown, consisting of three layers, fastened together, namely, a writing surface or paper W, attached to one side of a layer of cardboard (thin enough to be flexible) or heavy paper K, and a layer of corrugated paper L attached to the opposite side of the middle layer K. The corrugations run parallel with the trackways when the slips are inserted, thereby producing flexibility in the slips or the attribute of bending without breaking or cracking or remaining bent into an arc. The corrugated layer or cushion gives sufficient thickness to the slips to prevent them from sliding past one another when inserted in the trackways and permits the compression of the ends of the slips within the trackways the slips are held in one another. I The construction of a double-decked leaf or panel is shown in Fig. 3 in which a double-decked construction is produced by a central filler strip F upon which a guide strip G is superimposed.

The above description and drawings explain the construction of the leaf or panel when a non-transparent substance such as cardboard is used back B in which case the slips are inserted with the corrugated surface of the slips in contact with the back B. W hen glass, cellon or other transparent substance is used for the back B, the construction is similar except, first, that the slips are inserted with the writing surface in contact with the transparent back B, thereby affording a protection to the writing surface, and, second, that the trackways may be produced by the use of certain materials out requiring filler strips and guide strips, in which cases the width of the panel after the parallel edges of the back have been bent over to form the parallel and opposing .rackways is slightly more than twice the width of the two filler strips less than the place independently of by which compression as the material for the for the back withwidth of the panel shown in Fig. 3 foithe same sized slips. 1

' The independent wedging of slips produced by the combination of a flexible, com

pressible cushion slip with relatively rigid trackways, permanently non-adjustable,

produces three important utilities of the inany one slip S without disturbing the others i by lifting the slip at a middle point upward into an are, thereby overcoming the compression of the ends of the slip within the trackways and so releasing the slip, and, third, we may change the position of slip S by re-inserting it in a new position between any two adjoining slips by sliding a plurality of the slips instantaneously upward or downward in the trackways by a gentle pressure of the fingers sufficient to overcome the compression by which the slips are held. Were it not for this compression, the mere act of turning over a leaf or panel partially filled with slips with relatively slight violence would displace these flexible slips which are very light in weight.

1. The combination in an open-face index having trackways, of a compressible slip constructed of layers of corrugated paper, cardboard or heavy paper, and writing paper, inserted in said trackways which are permanently of less dimension than the compressible slips before insertion, all substantially as set forth.

2. An open face index comprising a leaf or panel with trackways. and a plurality of compressible slips, longitudinally flexible, each slip constructed of layers of writing paper, cardboard or heavy paper, and corrugated paper, with the corrugations running parallel with the trackways of the panels, when inserted, and with the thickness of the slips greater than the dimension of the trackways, said slips by their flexibility being removable from the trackways of the leaves or panels, easily re-inserted and adjusted, and, interchangeably and independently held at their ends by compression of the ends of the slips within said trackways.

' j J. PEASE NORTON.

Witnesses:

H. D. NORTON, ANNIE L. NoRToN. 

